


Pretty Colours: a chemistry lesson by Professor Tobias Ritz

by pro_daydreamer



Category: The AM Archives (Podcast), The Bright Sessions (Podcast), The College Tapes (Podcast)
Genre: Adopted Children, Fluff, M/M, Professor Oliver
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:40:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28259340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pro_daydreamer/pseuds/pro_daydreamer
Summary: “You all know Tobias,” Oliver continues. “They’ll actually be teaching you this class so make sure you all pay attention. There will be a quiz.”“We’re learning about colours today,” Tobias says with a toothy grin.“More specifically we’re learning about what colours you get when you burn different metal compounds,” Oliver interrupts, picking Tobias up from the desk and placing him on the stool he’s positioned by the bunsen burner.“We’re going to find the prettiest one,” Tobias says proudly. “That’s our mission.”Oliver lets Tobias take over his class for the day (with supervision) and they do a great job.Featuring Tobias- the child we (mostly Server Mark) gave Oliver and Mark.
Relationships: Mark Bryant/Oliver Ritz
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11
Collections: Happy Birthday Mark!





	Pretty Colours: a chemistry lesson by Professor Tobias Ritz

**Author's Note:**

  * For [boston_sized_city](https://archiveofourown.org/users/boston_sized_city/gifts).



> Happy Birthday, Mark!  
> I hope you enjoy this little fluffy thing of Tobias helping teach Oliver's class and a soft little bit of the Ritz family.

Oliver smiles as the students take their seats in his classroom. Tobias is sat on his desk, legs swinging excitedly as he waits for everyone to slowly filter in for the beginning of Oliver’s class. 

There’s an excited buzz in the room. Oliver told his students last lesson that Tobias would be ‘teaching’ them today so they’ve all left their heavy textbooks behind and come prepared to ‘burn shit’ as Oliver had told them.

Mark did look for a child-size lab coat for Tobias when Oliver first brought this idea up, but the search came up rather empty so Tobias is swamped in white fabric, sleeves rolled up and bunched around his elbows. An adult size small certainly wasn’t meant for a child, especially when the child is already rather tiny. However, they make do with what they’ve got.

The goggles fit though, that’s something that Mark wouldn’t budge on. 

“Eyes are precious, Oliver,” he’d said. “They need to protect their eyes properly or I won’t let them into your lab.” 

Oliver had smiled and nodded as they tested out the smallest goggles they could find on Tobias, pulling the elastic as tight as it could go to fit around their small head. 

It’s a little comical, the sight of Tobias sat there on the desk with his hands disappearing underneath the sleeves of a too-big lab coat and his already wide eyes made to look larger by the huge goggles. Oliver thinks he’s never loved his kid more.

They’re humming a little under their breath, waving at a few of the students as they settle down at their desks and prepare for today’s experiment. It’s an experiment they’ve almost definitely done before, one that technically doesn’t even count as an ‘experiment’, but Tobias’s excitement has infected the room and the students are chattering away as Oliver clears his throat to get their attention.

“Good afternoon everyone, I hope you’re all ready for some good science to be done in this room. That means that you all have to wear safety equipment otherwise the college will be after my head. So, Jack and Nate, I’ll be watching you.” 

Oliver points at the boys in the corner and Tobias gives them a cheery wave. Nate gives Oliver a thumbs up and a grin and Jack waves his goggles in the air pointedly.

“You all know Tobias,” Oliver continues. “They’ll actually be teaching you this class so make sure you all pay attention. There will be a quiz.”

“We’re learning about colours today,” Tobias says with a toothy grin.

“More specifically we’re learning about what colours you get when you burn different metal compounds,” Oliver interrupts, picking Tobias up from the desk and placing him on the stool he’s positioned by the bunsen burner.

“We’re going to find the prettiest one,” Tobias says proudly. “That’s our mission.”

“That is our aim,” Oliver repeats as he unscrews bottles of various solutions. “It will be on the quiz, so take notes. Their favourite colour is blue. Specifically, cyan, if that helps.”

“That’s cheating,” Tobias frowns.

“They need all the help they can get to pass this incredibly hard exam,” Oliver explains and Tobias nods seriously. Several students make a show of writing down notes of this fact and looking at Tobias with pleading eyes. 

“Ok, I’ll allow it,” Tobias says in a serious tone.

“Thank you, professor,” one of the girls in the front row says and Tobias’s face lights up.

“Now it will actually be useful for you to note down what colour each metal burns,” Oliver tells them. “We’ll be working a little on how to identify unknown metals next lesson so this is actually relevant. But also, have a bit of fun. Tobias demands it.”

“It’s in the thing,” Tobias gestures vaguely at Oliver’s computer. “The lesson plan thing.” 

“It says ‘enjoy yourself’ actually.”

Tobias shrugs.

“Point is, marks will be deducted if you don’t have fun.”

“Professor?” a student in the back row raises their hand. “I appreciate all of this but it is still college. I don’t know how much we can enjoy being in a mandatory scheduled class.”

“I brought my kid to class, Lyla, what else do you want from me?”

Lyla takes their hand down gingerly.

“Everyone set up your equipment as we have at my desk,” Oliver orders and his students all scramble up to set up their equipment. Tobias bounces on their heels and Oliver ruffles their hair fondly while they wait. 

“Can we see the blue ones first, dad?” Tobias asks, looking up at Oliver with wide eyes. 

“Sure thing, kid” Oliver smiles and arranges the solutions in order on his desk.

“Good, I like those ones best.”

Oliver watches Tobias fondly as they pull the far too long sleeves back up their arms.

“Ok everyone,” he says clapping his hands to get the attention of the class as they settle back in at their desks. “I’m sure you’ve all done this before but Tobias will quickly demonstrate and then you can start doing the flame tests on your own. Is that alright with everyone?”

There is murmuring agreement as Tobias begins to go through the different solutions that Oliver laid out, pointing at them and describing the colour as Oliver holds it over the flame. This is something else Mark would not budge on, not letting the child handle fire on his own.  _ Oliver  _ is responsible for handling the fire, not Tobias.

“This one’s purple, which is very pretty,” Tobias says to the class, who smile at him and nod in agreement. Oliver is happy to see several people taking notes. 

“This one is red which I like less,” they continue, moving through the solutions until there are none left before returning to the ones which create blue flames.

“Blue is the best, I think,” they say, watching the flame flicker happily.

“It’s very good,” Oliver agrees. “Now if all of you could repeat that and note down which colour you find for each metal that would be fantastic.”

The class move into their own experiments and conversation as Tobias raptly watches the blue flame in front of him.

“You did very well, Tobias,” Oliver says. “Proud of you, little one.”

Tobias hums happily as Oliver lifts them up and places them on his shoulders so they can walk around the classroom to observe together. Mostly Oliver makes small technical corrections in people’s experiments and Tobias calls out the pretty colours, giving out marks according to how much they like them.

Oliver can tell that Tobias is starting to grow tired, growing a little quiet from where he is settled on Oliver’s shoulders, so he places them down on the desk again while he finished up with the experiment and dismisses the class.

“Well done everyone for your work today, make sure to bring these notes next time when we’re learning the other boring stuff you can do to identify metals. Also, remember there will be questions on the quiz about which colours are best so I hope you were listening to Tobias since they set those questions. Ok now get out of here, you’re dismissed.”

Slowly the class trickle out and Oliver and Tobias are left alone, Tobias kicking his heels together, goggles pushed up to rest in their hair. Oliver helps them take off their lab coat and hang it up next to Oliver’s own.

“We really need to get you a better fitting lab coat if you’re going to be helping me out here,” Oliver says, taking the goggles from their head too and tousles Tobias’s hair.

“I like my one though,” Tobias tells him.

“If we got you a little one that fits you better I could talk to Chloe about painting on it for you,” Oliver counters and Tobias gasps at the thought.

“Could I get faerie wings on it?” he asks and Oliver nods.

“Anything Chloe can paint,” Oliver says.

“I want faerie wings,” Tobias says decisively. “Maybe they can be blue and maybe they can be shiny and have sparkle and stuff on them. Do you think Chloe can do that?”

“I’m sure you can ask her,” Oliver says, checking his phone quickly for any messages from Mark.

“I think blue faerie wings are good, I want that,” Tobias concludes. “Are we going home now?”

“We could but do you want to go for ice cream when Mark gets here?” Oliver asks. “I think you deserve some.”

“We get ice cream?” Tobias beams at him, bouncing excitedly where they’re sat.

“We do, and your other dad can take us there when he gets here,” Oliver says, glancing at his watch.

“Don’t worry, I’m here.”

Oliver and Tobias both turn to see Mark leaning in the doorway and Tobias runs up to him. Mark catches them in his arms easily and holds them nestled against his side as he walks up to press a quick kiss to Oliver’s mouth.

“Gross,” Tobias complains as they pull apart.

“That’s no way to speak to your fathers,” Oliver tells him with mock sternness. Tobias sticks out his tongue at Oliver over Mark’s shoulder as they leave the classroom and Oliver returns the expression before Mark rolls his eyes fondly at the two of them.

“I heard that you were the professor today?” Mark asks Tobias. “Did you have fun?”

“Lots of fun, so much fun,” Tobias babbles happily. They lower their voice a little. “I think I’m better than dad.”

“Don’t let him hear you say that,” Mark says in a stage whisper, making an exaggerated glance back at Oliver.

“Tobias is right,” Oliver admits with a sombre expression. “I’ll never live up to that lesson.”

“Can I do it again?” Tobias asks, looking hopefully at both of his parents.

“Of course you can!” Oliver exclaims and Tobias lights up in Mark’s arms. “But first, ice cream.”

Mark and Tobias walk ahead, Tobias babbling away at Mark about their class as they’re carried towards the car. 

Oliver watches his family go, and he smiles.


End file.
